BMG acquires Atmosphériques label, inks 8Ball deal in Holland

PRESS RELEASE:

New model music company BMG hasannounced two significant deals which will further build its capabilities in the recorded music business in Continental Europe.

In the Netherlands BMG Talpa Music has formed a joint venture with 8ball Music, one of the biggest independent labels in the Netherlands.

Meanwhile in France, BMG has acquired the influential Atmosphériques label, including catalog and future releases, notably including Charlie Winston (pictured).

The deals are designed to build BMG’s capabilities in recorded music as it develops its pipeline of releases. In October 2015 BMG scored its first US Number One album with Janet Jackson’s Unbreakable. This followed Number One albums in Germany (RAF 3.0), the UK (You Me At Six and alt-J) and the Netherlands (Within Temptation).

BMG EVP Continental Europe Fred Casimir said, “BMG continues to build its capabilities in the recorded music market as we pursue our strategy of building the world’s first fully integrated international publishing and recorded music company.

“We are delighted to have formed a joint venture with 8ball Music, one of the best independents in the Netherlands. Meanwhile, the acquisition of Atmosphériques brings new opportunities not just for existing clients of 8ball and Atmosphériques, but new routes to the French and Benelux markets for BMG’s international roster.”

BMG Talpa Music forms joint venture with 8ball Music

8ball Music is an innovative independent Dutch music label based in Hilversum which was founded in 2006. 8ball has had particular success with popular local artists in the Netherlands, such as Alain Clark, Miss Montreal, A Silent Express, and Bertolf.

8ball, led by Managing Director Tony van de Berkt, is also the official record label of the television program The Voice of Holland. 8ball also includes its sister dance and EDM label Powerhouse Music and Dutch repertoire label Dino Music.

Tony van de Berkt said, “8ball Music has shown the potential to create an independent success story in the Netherlands. We celebrate our tenth anniversary in 2016 and we look forward to embarking on our anniversary year in association with the scale, resource and fresh thinking of BMG.”

Key priorities for 8ball include:

· Miss Montreal – a follow-up to her 2012 Dutch Top 10 album I Am Hunter is due in 2016 following her successful second stint as a coach on The Voice of Holland;

· Sharon Doorson who has four singles planned for 2016;

· Power House Music’s new signing Eva Simons;

· Dino Music’s slate of local releases including Andre Hazes Jr, Jannes, Frans Duijts and Wolter Kroes;

· Di-rect, the successful rock band from The Hague;

· The winner of The Voice of Holland TV show.

Brian Dessaur, Chief Creative Officer of BMG Talpa Music, BMG’s Benelux operation, said, “We have long admired the 8ball operation and are delighted at the opportunities this new joint venture will bring for 8ball’s artists internationally and for BMG’s international roster in the Netherlands.”

BMG acquires French independent Atmosphériques

Meanwhile BMG has acquired the assets of renowned French independent label Atmosphériques from the label’s founder, Marc Thonon, who will continue as a consultant to the business.

Atmosphériques discovered and signed rock band Louise Attaque whose 3m-selling debut album became the biggest selling French rock album ever, and also developed the Soldat Rose 1 album which was the biggest children’s project of the past decade and sold in excess of half a million units.

Thonon sold the Atmosphériques catalog in 2007, retaining the brand and starting afresh, discovering in 2008 UK artist Charlie Winston whose debut album sold 400,000 units (4xPlatinum) in France and nearly 100,000 albums in Germany.

This deal brings BMG the artists currently in the Atmosphériques roster whose future albums will be released by Atmosphériques/BMG, notably including Charlie Winston.

BMG France Managing Director Stéphane Berlow said, “Atmosphériques has a deserved reputation as one of France’s great independent labels. We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with its talented roster, and extremely pleased that we will be able to benefit from Marc Thonon’s input going forward.”

BMG already has close links with artists associated with Atmosphériques, with publishing rights to Charlie Winston, Louise Attaque’s long awaited reunion album scheduled for 2016 and owning both publishing and recording rights to Le Soldat Rose.